New Lead Singer...who was it???

**OUIN2GOLF2** · 11.08.06, 04:36 PM

From the past there have been rumours on a number of new lead singers....

Patty Smyth
David Hasselhoff
Gary Cherone (got the gig..but here n gone)

There was another that I recall but can't remember the name. Any help would be awesome. I recall it wasn't a name I was too familiar with that was blonde and I believe always had been a solo artist. Anyone? Thanks in advance.

**ZachenFoot** · 11.08.06, 04:38 PM

Jimmy Barnes (for Dave in '85)
Mitch Malloy (for Dave / Sam in '96)

At least I think it was Mitch Malloy, been awhile since I read up on it...

**OUIN2GOLF2** · 11.08.06, 04:40 PM

Mitch Malloy was who I was thinking of. Totally forgot about Jimmy Barnes. Thanks!

**Nostalgia Act** · 11.08.06, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by OUIN2GOLF2

From the past there have been rumours on a number of new lead singers....

Patty Smyth
David Hasselhoff
Gary Cherone (got the gig..but here n gone)

There was another that I recall but can't remember the name. Any help would be awesome. I recall it wasn't a name I was too familiar with that was blonde and I believe always had been a solo artist. Anyone? Thanks in advance.

David hasselhoff??? never heard that
for dave(before sam)
joe cocker
ray charles
david king(Fastway)

**ZachenFoot** · 11.08.06, 04:48 PM

Originally Posted by hagarfn

David hasselhoff??? never heard that
for dave(before sam)
joe cocker
ray charles
david king(Fastway)

I don't think those were considered. I just remember Ed saying how cool some songs, such as Right Now (which was written around then) would sound with those guys on lead.

The only one of those you mentioned who was REALLY considered was Joe Cocker. I remember Al bringing up Phil Collins as being interested in the job as well...

**ZeoBandit** · 11.08.06, 04:56 PM

Yeah, it was all about Mitch for a while.

**belikemike** · 11.08.06, 04:56 PM

Originally Posted by vhrocks2005

I don't think those were considered. I just remember Ed saying how cool some songs, such as Right Now (which was written around then) would sound with those guys on lead.

The only one of those you mentioned who was REALLY considered was Joe Cocker. I remember Al bringing up Phil Collins as being interested in the job as well...

i believe guys like cocker and collins were being considered only as guest singers on an album that Ed, Al, and Mike would make with multiple singers after Dave left. Kind of an "all-star" thing they were considering. Something that Santana capitalized on quite nicely I must say. Ed and Al were ahead of their time in their thinking back then.
Now, well, their thinking isn't quite as good or clear

**ZachenFoot** · 11.08.06, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by ZeoHalen

Yeah, it was all about Mitch for a while.

I read some article where he claimed he was told he got the job, but they decided to cut him because Gary Cherone's audition was better.

So technically, Gary is Van Halen's 4th singer, just the third to go on record...

**Nostalgia Act** · 11.08.06, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by vhrocks2005

I don't think those were considered. I just remember Ed saying how cool some songs, such as Right Now (which was written around then) would sound with those guys on lead.

The only one of those you mentioned who was REALLY considered was Joe Cocker. I remember Al bringing up Phil Collins as being interested in the job as well...

David King was given serious consideration.
some of the others were like you said , to maybe sit in on
some songs .Kinda what Santana did with Supernatural

**axebrian** · 11.08.06, 06:00 PM

Patty Smyth claimed on a VH1 show that see HAD the job before Sammy, but turned in down.....

I always thought Coverdale's voice would work for both VH era's. I heard they did try him out????...

**ZachenFoot** · 11.08.06, 06:02 PM

Originally Posted by axebrian

Patty Smyth claimed on a VH1 show that see HAD the job before Sammy, but turned in down.....

I always thought Coverdale's voice would work for both VH era's. I heard they did try him out????...

Rumors only, man. VH confirmed they never worked with Coverdale, and Coverdale stated he would love to work with Van Halen. Neither side ever said he was tried out, but some people took it out of context and said he was tried out.

I used to think the same thing until I read an article about it maybe a year ago...

**Pacfanweb** · 11.08.06, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by vhrocks2005

I read some article where he claimed he was told he got the job, but they decided to cut him because Gary Cherone's audition was better.

So technically, Gary is Van Halen's 4th singer, just the third to go on record...

No. Mitch was told he was in. Then VH appeared at the MTV Awards with Dave, while Mitch watched in on TV.

He realized that the public would never accept a 3rd singer, that they wanted Dave, so he called and backed out.

Then they went to Plan B, which was Gary.

Dave alluded to finding out VH had a singer already chosen before the MTV's in his infamous open letter to the fans...he even wrote "I wonder what that guy must have thought watching me with VH on the MTV show".

Eddie and Alex, the lying Dutchmen, went on MTV in full damage control mode saying how they didn't have a singer before the MTV show, Dave was never told he was back, Sammy quit, etc.

Mitch Malloy was later was interviewed and pretty much confirmed what Dave had written...he had been told he was the next singer, and he was in fact watching the MTV show.

I don't see how Gary's audition could have been better. Malloy is a much better singer, IMO...and his voice is higher than Gary's and even Sammy's...which Eddie would have liked.

**broken9500** · 11.08.06, 09:19 PM

I heard about Siouxie from the Banshees was considered and I also heard that Sarah McClaughlin was considered...I know I know...rumours and what not...I'm just throwing them out there...

I also heard, just before Gary was brought in, that Ed Al and Mike were interested in cutting an album of new material with a bunch of singers...basically what Santana has done...but obviously this was way before the Santana record came out...this was when I heard about Sarah M, Siouxie, and Cocker...

I was actually more than a little intrigued at the idea because I always felt Ed would have really revelled in the opportunity to write without concern for a given individual's range/taste/style etc and was quite curious to see what would happen if he just wrote whatever came out and then found people to match the music too...

In a wierd way, that was a very exciting time...they'd done humans being, the two dave tracks and there was all this energy in the air about where they were going and what was going to happen. It seemed that every day there was a new rumour on the Van Halen News Desk. Then Gary came aboard and I was really stoked...yeah I know, I'm in the minority...that's not my point. All I mean to say is that period, right before III and during III, was the most intriguing and exciting period for me as a fan because I felt Ed was really energized and excited...

and on a completely side note...

(and this should probably go in a different thread but whatever)

nowadays, VH fans are really quelling my interest in Ed and VH in general. That's one of the reasons why I haven't visited or posted as much lately...I'm rather put off by all the indignation and such surrounding his kid, mike, Dave etc...I have my thoughts and opinions, concerns and inclinations, assumptions and judgements, but in the end, I don't pretend to know anything about the interpersonal dynamics, objectives, desires, objectives, agendas or intimate thought processes. To be true, I've always been one of those folks that prefers to let things happen before I decide what happened.

In my absolutely humble opinion, there are a whole lot of people spewing forth loads of crap about what is going through these people's minds, what it all means, what it will be like, what it means if Wolfgang is in, what it is if Mike is out, etc etc etc...and really, all that's happening is these people's own personal insecurities, fears, obsessions, shame, regrets and other assorted bullshit are being exposed.

Me...I'll wait and see if the music feels good...even if it's nothing more than a Page and Plant deal except with Ed and Dave, it might be great...it might suck a hookers ass cave...but I'll wait and see and go from there...it seems that too many people have already decided to love it beyond description or...hate it beyond measure...shit, it hasn't even happened yet...NOTHING has happened yet...

**Rovus** · 11.08.06, 09:32 PM

Don't forget that Sammy Hagar was supposedly considered by Warner Bros. executives for the lead singer position before the band got signed.

**broken9500** · 11.08.06, 09:40 PM

Originally Posted by Rovus

Don't forget that Sammy Hagar was supposedly considered by Warner Bros. executives for the lead singer position before the band got signed.

I've heard this before but I've always been under the impression that at that time, the VH line up was pretty much in stone...Ed, Al, Mike and Dave. Did the band really receive any sort of pressure from the lable to drop Dave?